Sitting outside the Principal's office
by canny-bairn
Summary: She's the last person he expects to be standing in front of him. Written for CCOAC challenge 21!


**Disclaimer – I own nothing!**

**Prompts: 2022, Henry LaMontagne-Jareau and Erin Strauss**

**I don't really know where I was going with this story, it just happened. **

**Also, I've just seen the finale and it was so good, even though admittedly I'm not Will's biggest fan he didn't really annoy me and I think it was because the episode was such a good storyline for AJ, who in my opinion had so much more potential on her return, especially with the whole secret with Hotch and Prentiss which seemed to be overlooked by episode 3! *rant over***

**(I'll breathe now and while accepting the whole Criminal Minds writers luvy-duvy storyline, I'll still keep on shipping JJ/Hotch – Haley and Beth didn't stop me neither will a pesky little wedding :P)**

**Anyways, here's my attempt to get back into writing, let me know what you think.**

...

The ninth grader sat silently on the bench outside of the principal's office, the bruise around his eye darkening in tandem with the swelling of his jaw and bloodied knuckles.

The corridor was abandoned after the mayhem of the lunch time break, only occasionally did a member of the high school staff or another student pass the sulking thirteen year old, gawking at his injuries in judgemental curiosity.

Feeling a sharp pain in his side, Henry winced sorely, suddenly regretting his decision to skip a year and start Robert E. Lee High School when he was given the chance, after him and his mom moved to the DC suburb.

Groaning at the dull ache invading his entire body, he chastised his previous eagerness to start over entirely after the move, anticipating the grown-up perks of starting high school to be a good thing in his life rather than the nightmare it currently was.

Reluctantly, he had to admit, as he glanced down the empty corridor, his mom was right when she told him the transition might be difficult and would think nothing of it if he had deferred the offer and stayed in the same grade as the rest of his friends.

God he hated when she was right... which, was all the time.

Jennifer Jareau was never wrong about anything concerning his well being, Henry mused. Sure the stubborn, single mom messed up every now again but she always took responsibility for her mistakes and urged her son to do the same.

Taking responsibility had been instilled in him since he was a toddler. The punishment was never severe, his mom couldn't be stern to save her life when it came to her only child, but lately if he messed up and tried to keep it from the profiler, things always managed to end up with him arms deep in dishwater and the stripping of TV privileges.

The inevitable conversation he was going to have to have with his mom would be painful.

She had perfected the disappointed yet understanding tone which was far more, uncomfortable than if she were to yell in an angry rage. The liaison turned profiler had mastered the art of making him and many others feel guilty at letting not only her down but themselves.

It wasn't an intentional reaction to mess-ups, but it was an inherent gift that came in handy with everyone, from her son and ex husband to demanding journalists, stressed colleagues, boisterous politicians as well as the stuck-up and judgemental mom's on the PTA board.

Henry swung his legs out and leaned his head on the cool wall behind him, closing his eyes to allow himself a few moments in peaceful solitude before he had some explaining to do.

The freshman did his best to make his mom proud. Life hadn't been exactly easy lately for the forty-something, a transfer out of her beloved BAU back to the State Department and suddenly longer than average work hours, the finalising of the amicable divorce from her husband of eight faithful years, the move to a new house in a new area and some other stuff she wasn't sharing with anyone, especially her hyper aware son.

Therefore her first born, worked hard and gladly accepted the schools offer to allow him to skip eighth grade. He was the first freshman to join the school paper, and even had a try out for the baseball team, not allowing his protective and overworked mom to know about all the issues he had to face on a daily basis from some of the older kids.

The taunts he could deal with, most of the kids were either just jealous or dealing with their own insecurities by lashing out on others. But today had been different, he couldn't just sit idly by, with the few friends he had made, in the cafeteria while James Crawforth said those things...

So the freshman who was a more than a foot shorter than the senior, snapped and punched the older boy, starting a battle of wills between the popular group and the misfits, during the lunch break.

"Henry." The familiar voice was close and made the young boy to jump.

His eyes opened widely in surprise at the presence of the person in front of him. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"It is Henry, isn't it?" She raised an eye at the boys slow nodding.

"Yes Ma'am." He stuttered nervously at the stern looking woman.

The smartly suited woman, straightened her tailored jacket and glanced down the empty hallway. "Are you badly hurt?"

"No, Chief Strauss." Henry winced at the tenderness of his jaw as he spoke. "Where's my mom?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't realise my phone call down here involved you." Strauss answered stiffly.

Henry frowned in confusion. "The school called you?"

"What happened?" She retorted quickly while crossing her arms coolly.

The young teenager shrugged with a slight defeated groan. "I got into a fight."

Strauss raised an eye dryly. "I can see that."

"Some of the older kids were saying stuff about my mom." Henry explained slowly. "They'd been baiting me all day and I dunno, we were in the cafeteria and everyone was watching. They were getting louder and louder, talking about what they'd like to do to her and..."

Strauss held her hand up to stop his explanation, knowing full too well the immaturity and depravity of teenage boy's minds. "I understand."

"So when that jerk Crawforth was up in my face, I just reacted and hit him." Henry admitted in a mumble.

"I see." The section chief pursed her lips in thought. "Have they often baited you in this way?"

Henry tilted his head to the side and grunted. "I guess. Usually I just ignore them but when they started talking about Mom in that way, I got mad. Crawforth is a real ass sometimes and he's as thick as... sorry, he's just a... bully."

Strauss winced at his pained expression. "It's understandable. Henry I want to..."

The door to the principal's office opened suddenly interrupting Strauss. The Principal, Kris Young, stepped out into the corridor eyeing the two interact. "Mrs Crawforth, thank you for getting here so quickly."

"It's Erin Strauss, Principal Young. Mrs Crawforth was my late, ex mother-in-law." She amended smoothly as they shook hands.

The school's headmaster nodded. "I'm sorry. Mrs Strauss, your son is sitting in my office."

Henry's eyes widened as he fixated on the older woman's stone like expression. "Mr Jareau was telling me about the incident in the cafeteria."

"It's most unfortunate. Why don't we talk in my office, while we wait for Mrs..." Young looked down the hallway at the approaching blonde woman.

"I'm here and it's Ms Jareau." JJ called out as she clip-clopped down the corridor adjusting her handbag and coat in her arm.

The principal's face reddened in embarrassment in yet another mistake. "Ms Jareau."

"Henry, oh my God! Are you alright sweetie?" JJ stopped in front of her son, dumping her belongings onto the floor and examining his injured face, then kissing his forehead softly.

Henry's lip protruded outwards as he suddenly feared the conversation between the two mothers. "Mom."

JJ followed her son's gaze up to the hovering Section Chief, frowning in surprise of the older woman's presence. "Strauss."

"Do you both know each other?" Young looked between the two tense women.

Strauss cleared her throat quietly. "We used to work together at Quantico."

"I see."

JJ straightened, before running her hands soothingly through her son's shaggy hair cut. "What happened?"

"It seems our son's were in a fight." Strauss clarified.

"Isn't your son, 18 and repeating his senior year?" JJ stiffened, looking at her former Section Chief accusingly.

The usually unflappable Strauss shuffled on the spot uncomfortably. "I'll be dealing with James myself, I assure you."

Mr Young cleared his throat and stepped forwards, so he was in the middle of the two mothers. "Why don't we go into my office and talk some..."

"What the hell is a senior doing hitting my son?" JJ crossed her arms defensively, hovering protectively in front of her son.

Henry groaned knowingly at his mother's angry tone. "Mom."

"Henry told me he threw the first punch albeit with mitigating circumstances yet..." Strauss paused as the younger woman's eyes widened.

JJ turned on her heels, staring at the thirteen year old expectantly. "You hit someone?"

"I..." The bright student gulped nervously.

"My son and his friends were in the wrong on this occasion and they will be punished." Strauss stated firmly.

The former profiler scoffed lightly. "I would hope so, Henry is thirteen years old."

"Mooooom." Henry gasped at his parent's reply.

JJ looked down at her son once more. "How long has this been going on?"

"I... didn't want you to worry." Henry muttered solemnly causing JJ's scowl to soften before she enveloped him in another bear hug.

"Wh-why don't we-we all go into, m-my office?" Young stuttered nervously at the prospect of having to dealing with a case of bullying, especially when considering the tension between the two extremely vocal mothers.

"Did the school know this was going on?" JJ demanded an answer from the slightly older principal. A guilty blush crossed the man's face before JJ continued. "Is my son being punished?"

The principal folded his hands in front of himself and hummed. "Well, I've heard both sides of the argument and from other students who witnessed the fight."

"Mr Young." JJ prompted curtly.

"Henry's in detention for the rest of the week for fighting. But he won't be expelled." The head teacher glanced nervously at the older fair haired woman.

Strauss caught his look and raised an eye brow questioningly. "And, what about James?"

"Mrs Strauss, why don't we go into my office?" Young stepped backwards raising his arm so his hand was pointing in the direction of the half open door.

"Of course." Strauss glanced at Henry apologetically before meeting JJ's concerned expression and nodded goodbye. "Miss Jareau."

JJ smiled thinly in acknowledgment before facing the principal. "I'm taking Henry to the hospital now."

"Yes, of course. Why don't you both come in tomorrow morning and we'll talk things through?" Kris Young asked hopefully, noting the younger woman's frustration.

"We'll be here at 9." JJ nodded once as she ushered Henry to his feet.

The freshman turned as Strauss began to move towards the office where her son was. "Erm, Mrs Strauss."

"Yes Henry." She paused in the doorway, intently watching the thirteen year old shuffle under her stony gaze.

"I'm sorry I didn't just walk away from James and for what I said earlier about calling him a jerk and you know..." Henry apologised maturely.

Strauss smiled warmly at the young teenager. "I appreciate that Henry and I'm sorry for my son's behaviour towards you. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't." JJ added before picking up her belongings. "Come on Buddy, time to go."

Henry sighed once they were standing outside the schools entrance. "Mom, I'm really sorry."

"I know and I'm not that mad. I just wished you'd come to me about these things. I'm your mom, I'm supposed to protect you not the other way around." She replied softly, while brushing some of his fallen hair off of his face.

Henry grumbled in embarrassment at her mothering. "You can't protect me from everything."

"I can from Strauss' son." JJ replied softly as she hugged the teenager into her side. "God, what a jackass. He's lucky he stayed in the principal's office."

Henry chuckled sorely catching her examining eyes over his injuries. "Yeah."

The single mom directed her only son down the few steps to the parking lot. "Are you going to tell me what the fight was about?"

"Crawforth is just an idiot who said some stuff, I hit him, then his friends jumped on my friends and a food fight broke out in the cafeteria." Henry summarised vaguely.

"Stuff?" JJ raised an unbelieving eye.

Henry cringed at his mom's tone. "Can we talk about this later?"

"Sure, but you will be telling me." JJ stressed motherly leading them both towards her car.

The teenager scoffed lightly and smirked. "Oh I know."

...

**Any mistakes are mine and Wikipedia's especially when dealing with the American education system, it's kind of confusing to me...**

**Thanks for reading!**


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